DIY vs Pre made reef sump

Also I cut a thin strip of filter media and stuck it up in my drain hose that goes into my basket and I can barely hear any water noises now! Media is not thick enough to cause a clog either.

 

You aren't fully understanding this I don't think. The baffles are to section off part of the sump so it will always remain the same height. This is where your skimmer can go, and your drains from the display tank can go. That way you only have evaporation affect the section where the return pump is. With your current setup, the entire sump level drops with evaporation and you will always fight it messing with your skimmer and dropping below your drains causing noise. An ATO will fix this, but baffles would be best.

 

I'm on board now. I get what you all are saying!